About the Lancaster Contra Dance

"The music is irresistible and often hypnotic. I
love being compelled to smile." - Anonymous

“I was thrilled to encounter a place where the
whole community dancing together is more important than any one person or any
couple looking good.” - Greg Rohde

“Its’s amazing to have so much fun with people
I have never met before.” - Anonymous

Tips for First Timers

General tips:

Bring a water bottle, or label your cup with the marker provided at the water cooler.

Contra dancing is vigorous, i.e. people often perspire! Some folks bring extra shirts for a quick change during the break.

Please No Strong Scents! as some people are sensitive to perfume.

Children are welcome to dance or watch from sidelines. Please keep your
children who are not dancing off the dance floor to avoid collisions, and accompany them throughout the building to ensure supervision.

Volunteer by bringing a snack to share at the break, helping to put chairs away and return the hall to order at the end of the dance, share your talents with the community to strengthen our dance, post our fliers and invite friends.

Dancing tips:

To swing- face each other, and walk around each other. If using a “buzz” step, don't bob up and down, keep it smooth.

Many experienced contra dancers improvise during a dance. We encourage artistic expression and experimentation, but keeping the rhythm of the dance is always more important the embellishments.

Contra dances can get crowded. Adjust the strength and speed of your movements to be safe and comfortable for your partners and yourself. If your partner doesn’t seems to know your comfort zone, tell him or her what is comfortable for you.

Its good to be on time in starting the next move. If someone gets off track, it may work better to skip one move and position yourself for the next.

Give ‘weight’ to fellow dancers by creating a moderate tension by pulling away or leaning back from a firm grip. This helps propel you into the next move. Take care not to grip hands too tightly or twist your partner’s wrist.

In the NEWS

Thanks to staff writer Cathy Molitoris of the Lancaster News Paper, our dance was featured by Lancaster Online.